Behind the scenes: Perry, Hart Trophy hit beach

June 24, 2011

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Corey Perry returned to Southern California on Thursday with two new friends -- the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. Click on the photo for a behind-the-scenes look at how the three buddies spent their day together. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Perry did radio shows here and in Canada on Thursday. He taped TV interviews with several of the local stations. His last stop was scheduled to be the L.A. version of ESPN's “SportsCenter.” First thing Friday, he was set to do Jim Rome's radio show. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Look one way, and here's Corey Perry with his two trophies... TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Look the other way, and here are two people sleeping in the grass, not a slap shot's distance from the NHL's reigning MVP and his two trophies. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Some people at the Santa Monica pier know Perry and the Ducks; some people probably think it's a new reality TV show being taped. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Asked who the first person was to contact him after he won the Hart Memorial Trophy, Perry says, 'God, I couldn't even tell you. I still haven't gotten through all the text messages.' TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Famous or not, Perry's willing to help pack up the hardware. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Between newspaper and TV interviews, Perry sneaks in a radio interview via cell phone. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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After leaving the pier, Perry and his trophies head to CBS studios for another interview. This is an actual intersection on the lot. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Welcome to Studio City, Corey. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

On winning the Hart, Perry says, “I was very surprised. I knew I had a great chance, but the two other guys (Daniel Sedin and Martin St. Louis) had great seasons, too. We each had great seasons, but three different kinds of great seasons.” TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Perry says the best part about Wednesday's awards show was sharing the occasion with his parents, Geoff and Nancy, and his brother, Adam. TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Corey Perry returned to Southern California on Thursday with two new friends -- the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. Click on the photo for a behind-the-scenes look at how the three buddies spent their day together.TEXT AND PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SANTA MONICA – They stopped suddenly, frozen in the warm afternoon sunshine by total confusion.

The two kids briefly studied the scene before them and asked what, precisely, they were looking at?

"It's the Anaheim Ducks," they were told, Corey Perry stationed near the entrance to the Santa Monica pier and posing with two other famous structures – the Hart Memorial Trophy and Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy.

"Oh," one of the boys said. "Cause they won the championship?"

"No," someone told him. "That's the MVP."

"Oh," the boy said again. "So he's like Kobe Bryant?"

Yeah, he's like Kobe Bryant. Only more historic.

For just the second time in its existence, the Hart hardware – given to the NHL's regular-season MVP – washed up Thursday in Southern California.

The only winner from here had been an L.A. King named Wayne Gretzky, "The Great One," a man whose No. 99 was retired by the entire league, whose influence was substantial enough that, mostly because of his impact with the Kings, Anaheim received the Ducks in the first place.

Now, 22 years later, there's also Perry, standing in shorts and flip-flops and – much like the parrot perched just several feet away – agreeing to pose for pictures with total strangers.

This was the Ducks' idea, and it was a good one. Make the most of Perry's stunning MVP triumph by sharing the beautiful surprise with the Southland.

For a slideshow of Corey Perry's first day as NHL MVP, click on the photo of him.

The NHL agreed to allow Perry to return from Wednesday's awards show in Las Vegas with the two trophies he received there. Perry spent Thursday doing interviews, greeting anyone who approached him and, quite simply, being famous.

The Hart and the Richard – given to the NHL's leading regular-season goal scorer – soon will be going back to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Perry also will be Canada-bound in a few days, heading home for the first time as an legitimate hockey legend.

"I was very surprised," he admitted of winning the Hart. "I knew I had a great chance, but the two other guys (Daniel Sedin and Martin St. Louis) had great seasons, too. We each had great seasons, but three different kinds of great seasons."

The scene here was classic, feeling as ice hockey as a sandbar. There were $3 snow cones and a woman named Anna reading tourists' palms and, for only $6, the opportunity to have your photo taken with a life-sized cutout of Vin Diesel.

Then there was Perry, also life-sized but charging nothing for his picture, just 16 hours after he was presented with the Hart on live television at The Palms.

By the way, concerning those 16 hours, Perry had slept exactly zero of them.

After the awards show, Perry had dinner with family and friends – he estimated the group to be 25-30 – and then continued to celebrate.

Being Las Vegas, the odds are better than even that his two young teammates in attendance, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan, hung with Perry all night. As linemates, you know, they can share more than just shifts together.

"I'm mostly trying to keep my eyes open right now," joked Perry, who turned 26 last month. "We did have a good time."

He did radio shows here and in Canada on Thursday. He taped interviews with several of the local television stations. The Ducks recorded everything for their Web site.

Perry's last stop Thursday was scheduled to be the L.A. version of ESPN's "SportsCenter." First thing Friday, he was set to do Jim Rome's radio show.

And he traveled like a rock star, in a long black limo. Of course, coming back from Vegas, it was Southwest Airlines, non-stop service to LAX.

The lineup was a head-spinner, especially for a guy operating on fumes and someone who wasn't even clear what he said upon receiving the Hart.

"Not a clue," Perry said when asked if he could remember his acceptance speech. "I knew all the people I wanted to thank. I had written a few things down beforehand. But once I got up there, I was just going off the top of my head. I hope it came out all right."

What certainly came out perfect was Perry being able to share the occasion with his parents, Geoff and Nancy, and his brother, Adam. Geoff, a retired policeman, coached Perry during his first years.

Perry also admitted he couldn't remember everything he did immediately after hearing his name announced. He did, however, recall hugging Mom and Dad.

"They both sacrificed so much for me," he explained. "All those early morning practices. All the money they spent on equipment and skates. It all paid off, I guess. To be able to share it with them was pretty special."

He kept sharing Thursday, Perry bringing special from the frozen rink to the sudsy surf.

Dressed in shorts, flips-flops and a tan. On this day, that's what hockey history looked like.

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